Comparing the performance of visual estimation and standard uptake value of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for detecting malignancy in pancreatic tumors other than invasive ductal carcinoma.

Introduction: The utility of FDG PET/CT for the detection and evaluation of invasive ductal carcinoma has been widely reported, but a few studies have assessed the utility of FDG PET/CT to detect malignancy in a variety of pancreatic lesions other than invasive ductal carcinoma.

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic performance of visual estimation with the semi-quantitative scores of FDG PET/CT for detecting malignancy in a variety of pancreatic lesions other than invasive ductal carcinoma.

Material And Methods: Images of pathologically proven pancreatic lesions from 32 patients were retrospectively evaluated: 14 benign lesions, 7 borderline (low malignant) lesions, and 11 malignant lesions.

The physiological uptake pattern of (18)F-FDG in the left ventricular myocardium of patients without heart disease.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological uptake pattern of (18)F-FDG in the left ventricular myocardium of patients under preparation for tumor FDG-PET.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 188 patients without cardiac disease. The accumulation patterns were classified as either 'none', 'diffuse', 'focal' or 'focal on diffuse'.

Correlations between F-18 FDG PET/CT and pathological findings in soft tissue lesions.

Objective: To evaluate the correlations between F-18 FDG uptake imaged with PET/CT and pathological findings in soft tissue lesions.

Methods: Fifty-four soft tissue lesions in 47 patients were evaluated. The correlations between the degree of FDG uptake, pathological type and grade, and MRI signal intensity and/or enhancement pattern were evaluated.

Visual and semi-quantitative assessment of brain tumors using (201)Tl-SPECT.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of (201)Tl-SPECT in differentiating benign from malignant brain tumors.

Methods And Materials: Eighty-eight patients (44 males and 44 females) with 58 high-grade (WHO grade III-IV) and 30 low-grade (WHO grade I-II) tumors were evaluated with (201)Tl-SPECT. (1) Visual assessment was performed by board-certificated radiologists using (201)Tl-SPECT.

(18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose uptake in or adjacent to blood vessel walls.

Incidental (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in blood vessel walls is sometimes demonstrated during routine oncologic imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). FDG uptake in vessel walls can also be seen under some non-physiological conditions such as vasculitis and arteriosclerosis. Radiologists need to be aware of the diseases which can exhibit FDG uptake in the vessel wall for proper interpretation.

Usefulness of transcatheter arterial embolization prior to excision of hypervascular musculoskeletal tumors.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of transcatheter arterial embolization prior to surgical excision of musculoskeletal tumors. We reviewed the records of nine patients (3 females and 6 males) who received arterial embolization prior to excision of musculoskeletal tumors in our hospital from December 2009 to April 2010. We evaluated tumor region, size, histopathology, feeding artery, embolic material, and blood loss during surgery.